SILIZIWE MABUYA
Mamelodi campus has become the first of UP’s campuses to be connected to the internet via a wireless network. This service not only gives students the opportunity to connect to websites, but more importantly, it is a direct link to ClickUP.
All mobile devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops can be used to connect to the internet at any Wi-Fi spot, such as the library or the cafeteria. The access points do not have a specific range but coverage depends on density and interference.
The first phase of this operation began in October last year and was completed this month. There are future plans to install coverage for the whole campus.
Perdeby spoke to two first-year BIS Multimedia students, Cameron Edwards and Tshegofatso Phore, who both expressed how happy they were that the system was implemented as they discovered that the wireless connection was convenient and fast. Edwards added, “[You] just connect wherever you are on campus, no hassles and no hike [to the IT labs].”
The initiative has been viewed as a great opportunity for students to interact with their lecturers and is a significant investment.
The director of Mamelodi campus Edwin Smith described the students as “techno natives or technophiles” to stress how significant an initiative like this is to students so that they can reach their full potential and stretch their imaginations.
Additionally Smith said, “[This initiative] is also significant in signalling the seriousness of our institutional commitment to the academic enterprise unfolding on the Mamelodi campus.”
